Egyptian dignitaries and international education experts celebrated the launch of AUC’s Graduate School of Education (GSE). Guests at the celebration included Fathy Sorour, head of the Egyptian parliament; Hani Helal, minister of higher education; Ahmed Zaki Badr, minister of education; and Mushira Khattab, minister of family and population. Also attending were Philip Altbach, director of Center for International Higher Education, Boston College; Susan Fuhrman, president of Teachers College, Columbia University; Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation professor of international education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; in addition to deans of the Egyptian governmental and private universities.
Authorized by the Supreme Council of Universities and the Ministry of Higher Education, the new school will foster excellence in practice and research for pre-university and higher education professionals by integrating learning and research. AUC President David D. Arnold said that the new school represents a major investment in the future of Egypt and a promise to its young people. “The Graduate School of Education is a resource that will strengthen Egypt’s educational environment, both in terms of available professional resources and workforce. It is an endeavor that reflects the needs and vision of Egypt and the Middle East.”
The new school includes professional educator diploma programs, which offer non-credit education diplomas in five areas: educational leadership, early literacy education, teaching diverse learners, integrated educational technology for classroom teachers, and teaching for non-education majors. These diplomas are designed to address Egyptian and regional priorities for pre-university education. There are 186 students enrolled in the programs and to date, 37 school teachers and administrators have completed requirements for various diplomas. To extend the benefit of the school to the greater Cairo community, the school also offers non-credit parenting courses to Egyptian families seeking to participate more effectively in their children’s education and upbringing.
A Masters degree program in international and comparative education will begin in the fall. In addition to required core courses, students will be able to focus on one of the three concentrations available: teacher education, educational leadership, and international education policy and planning.
The Middle East Institute of Higher Education (MEIHE) is the third component of the GSE, targeting research, policy dialogue, and capacity building for post-secondary institutions throughout the world. “With this school, we have an opportunity to bring the best education research, practices and perspectives in the world to Egypt. We have a new opportunity to bring Egypt’s unique systems, skills and standpoints to the evolving global dialogue about how we should equip our children to lead and prosper in the 21st century,” Provost Lisa Anderson said.
AUC Counsellor Amr Salama noted that AUC’s initiative focuses a national spotlight on the correlation between a well-educated population and national capacity-building. “Educational institutions are essential in a knowledge-based society and they must evolve to match the changes of the era to prepare qualified teachers and school principles for local, national and global challenges in education,” he said.
The new school is also developing partnerships with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, educational institutions and international institutions to capitalize on their expertise and to explore opportunities for professional and academic collaboration. “The establishment of the new School of Graduate Education is an excellent addition to the education system in Egypt. In fact, AUC is part of the education system in Egypt. It is a university that we are proud of, along with our national universities,” said Minister Hani Helal in the inaugural ceremony.
Explaining AUC’s mission to educate and prepare the next generation of leaders for Egypt and the Arab world President Arnold said, "By sending highly qualified men and women into the education field, we are endowing Egyptian schools with a precious resource. AUC's Graduate School of Education serves not only as a benchmark by which to gauge the progress of our youth, but as a doorway through which their teachers will pass. It is a direct response to the specific educational needs of the region," adds Arnold.
